Thanks a million to everyone who contributed to make this campaign a success -- my generous backers and wonderful sponsors who donated some truly special rewards! Please sign up for the mailing list to receive updates on MEN OF THE CLOTH.

We welcome additional donations through PayPal or Fractured Atlas to pay for the following distribution-related expenses: a distribution consultant, travel to film festivals, printing of posters, publicity, and errors and omissions insurance.

THE STORY OF THE FILM

I first conceived of MEN OF THE CLOTH when I was Senior Fashion Editor at DNR, a menswear magazine that is now part of the fashion bible Women's Wear Daily. I became fascinated by Italy's artisan tradition and the incredible pride and passion that's part of the cultural DNA of Italy's master tailors.

I truly admire these artisans who live a life of meaning
and purpose – and create clothing that’s as beautiful inside as it is outside. They’re unsung heroes – with skills that
have been honed over the course of a lifetime -- and my film honors their
legacy for a younger generation.

MEN OF THE CLOTH unravels the mystery of their artistry as
they confront the decline of the apprentice system and navigate their
challenging roles in the twilight of their career.

In this fast-paced world, the art of
making handcrafted custom (or bespoke) clothing -- with a pattern created for
each individual – has been declining for years. There are few remaining Italian master tailors,
and this turn of events inspired me to share the story of Nino, Joe and
Checchino with the world. But while their personal stories are quite distinct,
they also give us an insight into the current state of their craft as a whole.
So as much as it’s a character-driven film, MEN OF THE CLOTH is also a
meditation on the value of craftsmanship and handmade clothing.

In the film’s visual through-line, we show a process that takes several weeks in real time: we follow the making of one bespoke suit from start to finish – from a bolt of cloth to a beautifully constructed garment.

HOW THE FILM WAS FUNDED

MEN OF THE CLOTH is a truly independent film made with dedication and passion. Since its inception, my film has received generous contributions from individuals around the world. I’m very grateful for this grassroots support because it comprises the majority of the film's funding. We’ve also gotten some early funding from the National Italian American Foundation and some funding at the editing stage from the William B. Dietrich Foundation.

I launched my first online crowdfunding campaign last year, and the money that I raised allowed me to hire an accomplished editor who tackled 100 hours of footage. With the help of dozens of contributors, we were able to finish editing, to create the titles and graphics and to compose and record the musical score. That process took a year to complete.

We’ve now “locked picture” on a 96-minute feature film. But in order to get the film ready for festivals, screening events, the DVD, and other avenues of distribution, we need to pay for some necessary post-production steps.

HOW YOUR DONATIONS WILL BE USED

What I need now are the finishing funds to
polish the film and to prepare it for screening at festivals and for broader
distribution. This includes:

• Color Correction

• Sound
Mixing

•
Mastering to HDCAM tape

If you enjoy soulful and inspiring stories
that celebrate the creative spirit and humanity of individuals, please become a backer of this campaign -- and you’ll ensure that the film
gets out into the world.

HELP THIS CAMPAIGN BY SHARING
WITH THE WORLD!

In addition to pledging, another way that you
can help is to spread awareness of this campaign by contacting your friends,
family, and co-workers. In order to be successful, I want this to go viral!

Send
an email to friends and
family with a link to this Kickstarter campaign.

On Facebook: you can simply click the "Like"
button directly below the video at the top of this page or paste the URL straight onto your page with a
message.

On Twitter: you can tweet and post a link to the video by
clicking the button under the video or simply sharing the direct URL for this
page.

Post
on your blog and embed
this Kickstarter video.

Face-to-face: spread the word
about this campaign with people
you interact with in your everyday lives.

Become
a sponsor: If you’re a
craftsman, tailor or artisan of any stripe, please consider donating a
custom-made or made-to-order item to this campaign. In exchange, we’ll promote
your work through our mailing list and through social media.

Any way you can help -- big or small -- is
deeply appreciated!

The
MEN OF THE CLOTH team

Produced and Directed by Vicki Vasilopoulos

Edited by Sandrine Isambert

Assistant editors: AJ Gesualdo, Jason
Sacharoff

Filmed by David Gaynes, Andrew David Watson,
Christian Jacks

Original Music by Chris Hajian

Motion Graphics by Michael Saul

WE'RE OFFERING UNIQUE REWARDS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION

The sponsors of my campaign are all kindred
spirits. They’re exclusive or small-scale businesses that make goods with a
superior level of craftsmanship. They’re quality-driven, not “status-driven.”

Centofanti
Tailors
-- a bespoke shop that’s an institution on the Main Line (outside
Philadelphia). Joe Centofanti is a main character in my film.

Nino
Corvato – a Sicilian-born master tailor in
Midtown Manhattan who’s in a class by himself; he’s a main character in my
film. Nino is featured in this article (the info is based on my film): bit.ly/TJMjjS

Martin
Greenfield Clothiers – The one
and only Martin Greenfield in Brooklyn will be featured on the MEN OF THE CLOTH
DVD. He’s both a Holocaust survivor and President Obama’s tailor. Here’s
an article on him in the Wall Street Journal: http://on.wsj.com/Tacnnq
-- and one in the Washington Post: wapo.st/TFRfZv

Basil
Racuk – a California-based designer
whose leather bags are sold at such high-end stores as Leffot and
Bergdorf Goodman in New York. Not only are all his bags handmade by Basil in his northern California
studio, all the materials are sourced locally in CA as well. Here’s a great piece on Basil on the Handful of Salt blog: bit.ly/lueBvN

Margo Petitti -- known for her limited-edition hand-sewn scarves and pocket squares in classic menswear suiting patterns in wool, silk and cashmere from luxury Italian mills such as Vitale Barberis, Ermenegildo Zegna, and
Fratelli Piacenza. Produced in a small factory in Fall River, Massachusetts, her designs are sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Paul Stuart. (The items offered here are not available in stores.) Here's an article on Margo Petitti in Robb Report.

Margo Petitti super 120's reversible wool pocket square in a dark purple and white check with a light pink plaid on reverse side (10" by 10")

Kelly
Christiansen – a talented
knitwear designer based in New Jersey who sells on Etsy.com. Her unisex scarves are available in the variegated oatmeal, dusty grey, charcoal, fatigue green, and sand.

Kelly Christiansen's grey hand-kit cowl scarf (unisex)

Denisse DiGiorgio -- an artisan at The Tailored Nest sewing studio in upstate New York who uses tailoring/couture techniques for home decor. Her linen pillow (pictured below) is entirely cut, sewn and assembled by hand.

HOW KICKSTARTER WORKS

Kickstarter is the world's largest funding
platform where personal creative projects can be funded by individuals
who share the same goals as the creators. These backers become part of the "tribe" or community around a project because they help make it happen!

Kickstarter is powered by a unique
all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully funded or no money
changes hands. In other words, if I don’t raise my goal of $20,000,
backers will not be charged and I will not receive any funding. So if you
are considering backing this film, please don’t delay!

HOW TO MAKE A PLEDGE

Once you decide what level you would like to
choose, just click the green “Back This Project” button in the upper right-hand
corner. You will be asked to input your pledge amount and select a reward. You may also choose to not select any reward. From
there, you will go through the Amazon checkout process. (You may also increase your existing pledge by clicking the blue “Manage Your
Donation” button.)

If you would like to make a donation in exchange for a tax-deduction instead of a reward, you may do so through Fractured Atlas, our non-profit fiscal sponsor, by visiting the Contribute page of our web site. (However, your contribution will not count towards the Kickstarter funding goal.)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN I CONTACT YOU WITH ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FILM OR DONATING TO THE CAMPAIGN?

Yes, of course! Feel free to email me at: info@menoftheclothfilm.com

WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG TO FINISH THE FILM?

Following real people takes a great deal of time because we deal with actual life events. About four years ago, after
I had (ostensibly) finished filming, one of my characters acquired an
apprentice, and that necessitated raising more production funds and filming
more footage. Our last production shoot was actually in October 2011, after we
had already started editing the film! But
that day’s footage resulted in a very important scene in the film. The editorial process took about a year (a typical time frame for documentary features). We held two audience feedback screenings along the way, the last one in July 2012, after which we trimmed and tweaked the film some more.

WHEN DOES THE FILM
COME OUT?

People often ask me ‘when does the film come
out?’ or ‘how do we know if the film will come out?’ These queries are
understandably based on the idea of Hollywood films, which have a pre-set
release schedule; that’s what most people are familiar with. But films that are
independently produced and financed have to create their own timetables, and
MEN OF THE CLOTH is no exception. In time-honored tradition, the film
will have a film festival premiere next spring and will be released
shortly thereafter. We’ll screen the film in any city or venue where there’s a
receptive audience – and I’ll be honored to be there in person for as many of
these screenings as possible!

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T REACH MY FUNDING GOAL?

You aren’t charged for your pledge and I don't receive any of the funding. Of course, I hope that doesn't happen!

WHAT WILL THE FUNDS BE USED FOR?

This Kickstarter campaign will enable me to
finish post-production on the film.

CAN I EXCEED MY GOAL?

Yes, absolutely – that would be great!!

WHAT HAPPENS IF I SURPASS THE GOAL?

If I am fortunate enough to surpass my goal,
it will help us with paying for travel expenses to screen at film festivals;
creation of a foreign language version of the film and a one-hour version
for television; Errors and Omissions Insurance for distribution; publicity and
printing of posters; and a distribution consultant.

CAN YOU DONATE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED
STATES?

Of course! Just click on the Amazon Payment
Button and you will see that you can pay with a credit card from any country!
But you must finish the Amazon checkout process for your pledge to be recorded.
If you have any problems please contact me.

CAN CONTRIBUTORS INCREASE THEIR PLEDGES ONCE
THEY HAVE MADE THEM?

Yes—that would be wonderful! If you have
already contributed, and are signed in to your account, then instead of a green
“Back This Project” button on this page, there should be a blue “Manage Your
Donation” button.

HOW IS MY PLEDGE PROCESSED AND CHARGED?

Once the campaign is successful, your pledge
will be processed by Amazon on December 21st. The process is safe and secure.

Risks and challenges

I’ve worked single-handedly for over 10 years to make my film and now it’s almost done, so I feel like that was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken both financially, personally and career-wise.

One of the basic challenges for every independent film is securing distribution. The main challenge for me is finding an executive producer, producer’s rep, or sales agent who can help me navigating the distribution options for my film...So I’m working on that.

I’ve received many inquiries from design schools who’d like to screen the film and from individuals who’d like to buy the DVD. So at the very least, we will self-distribute the film and I’ll work with a distribution consultant to devise an appropriate strategy that will connect MEN OF THE CLOTH with as wide an audience as possible.

We’ll create both a consumer DVD and an educational version that we can use for a college tour. We’ll also edit a shorter one-hour version of the film for potential broadcast in the U.S. and abroad.

**Please note: I cannot send out the DVD’s until the film has had its festival premiere (otherwise, it jeopardizes its chance of acceptance). But I’ll be sure to update my donors if it’s past our estimated delivery date. To save money on postage, we may wait to ship the posters along with the DVD’s when they’re ready.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $48 or more
About $48

Super 120's reversible wool pocket square in a classic menswear suiting pattern from designer Margo Petitti ($15 extra for shipping), plus a signed postcard, a thank you on the Facebook page & email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

A fine vintage Borsalino Milan straw hat from dealer Scott Dalsbo (finevintagefedoras at Etsy.com), plus a signed MEN OF THE CLOTH postcard, a thank you on the Facebook page & email updates on the film (Shipping is $15 extra)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $120 or more
About $120

A hand-knit wool cowl scarf in a cashmere/merino blend by designer Kelly Christiansen – not available in stores (allow 1 month for order; $5 extra for shipping to the U.S) plus a thank you on the Facebook page & email updates

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $120 or more
About $120

A hand-knit wool cowl scarf in a cashmere/merino blend by designer Kelly Christiansen – not available in stores (allow 1 month for order; $5 extra for shipping to the U.S) plus a thank you on the Facebook page & email updates

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $200 or more
About $200

An invitation to the MEN OF THE CLOTH premiere or two tickets to a screening near you, a MEN OF THE CLOTH DVD and signed film poster, a Thank You on the web site and Facebook page, a postcard, and email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $210 or more
About $210

Brown and white check Super 150's wool scarf edged in black doeskin finish cashmere from designer Margo Petitti ($15 extra for shipping included), plus a signed postcard, a thank you on the Facebook page & email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $225 or more
About $225

A custom-made vest with your choice of fabric (a pattern is created for you) from Erik Sellers of J.M. Gentry’s (available January 2013 - $7 extra for shipping), plus the MEN OF THE CLOTH poster or pre-release DVD, a thank you on the Facebook page & web site, and email updates

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

A custom-made shirt from Centofanti Tailors of Ardmore, Pennsylvania (allow 1 month for order starting in January 2013), plus the MEN OF THE CLOTH poster or pre-release DVD, a thank you on the Facebook page & web site, and email updates

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $300 or more
About $300

A hand-crafted custom shirt from Geneva Custom Shirts in New York City (available January 2013), plus the MEN OF THE CLOTH DVD and signed poster, a thank you on the Facebook page & web site, and email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

Silver Level Sponsor Package: 6 MEN OF THE CLOTH Director's Cut DVD's (with many extra features & deleted scenes), plus 6 signed film posters, a Thank You in the SCREEN CREDITS of the film, 6 signed postcards, a thank you on the Facebook page & email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $600 or more
About $600

A pair of custom-made trousers from Centofanti Tailors of Ardmore, Pennsylvania (allow one month for order starting in January 2013), plus the Director's Cut DVD and signed poster, a Thank You in the SCREEN CREDITS of the film and on the Facebook page & web site, and email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $750 or more
About $750

A pair of custom-made trousers from master tailor Nino Corvato in New York City (allow 1 month for order), plus The Director’s Cut DVD with loads of extra features and deleted scenes, along with a signed film poster, a Thank You in the film’s SCREEN CREDITS as well as on the Facebook page & web site, a MEN OF THE CLOTH postcard, & email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $900 or more
About $900

Gold Level Sponsor Package: 10 MEN OF THE CLOTH Director's Cut DVD's (with many extra features & deleted scenes), plus10 signed film posters, a Thank You in the SCREEN CREDITS of the film, 10 signed postcards, a thank you on the Facebook page & email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

A film screening & in-person presentation for your group or organization by the director of the film (travel expenses not included) plus the Director's Cut DVD with public performance rights, and a Thank You in the SCREEN CREDITS of the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,200 or more
About $1,200

A men’s custom sport jacket from Martin Greenfield Clothiers of Brooklyn, NY (you have to come to the factory to pick a fabric and get measured, and return at least once more for a fitting), plus a tour of the Martin Greenfield factory, and a Thank You in the SCREEN CREDITS of the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,500 or more
About $1,500

An Associate Producer credit in the film as well as on the film’s IMDB page, plus The Director’s Cut DVD with extra features and deleted scenes, a signed film poster, a thank you on the film’s Facebook page, a MEN OF THE CLOTH postcard, Bookmark, & email updates on the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,500 or more
About $1,500

A handmade soft leather briefcase in "British khaki" waxed calf from Northern California designer Basil Racuk – it can be customized to your taste (allow 2 months for order starting in January 2013). Plus a Thank You in the SCREEN CREDITS of the film

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $5,000 or more
About $5,000

Platinum Level Sponsor Package: 20 MEN OF THE CLOTH Director's Cut DVD's (with many extra features & deleted scenes), 20 signed film posters, a special Thank You in the SCREEN CREDITS of the film, a special Sponsor Listing on the film's Web Site, a private screening of the film for your organization with the Director in attendance, plus 20 signed postcards, a thank you on the Facebook page & email updates on the film. (Travel expenses not included)